JAFFREY — On Tuesday, the Jaffrey Planning Board conditionally approved an amended site plan to allow Millipore Corporation, a medical technology manufacturer located on Prescott Road, to expand and improve a chemical storage shed at the back of the property.

According to Millipore’s site plan application, the company asked to add a 940-square-foot expansion to an existing chemical storage shed in order to allow the inclusion of a 50,000 gallon tank to contain fire and sprinkler water and safety renovations. The shed, as it currently exists, has an el for water tank storage. The expansion will square off the building, and will not be used for the storage of hazardous materials, according to the application. The shed is currently used for chemical storage, with the upper limit of stored materials designated as Class IB flammables, which can include materials such as motor and aviation gasolines, toluene, lacquers and lacquer thinner.

According to the application, the shed was constructed 27 years ago, but hasn’t undergone any significant changes since that time. As well the addition, Millipore is also seeking to improve venting, upgrade the sprinkler system, lighting, upgrade the exit signs and install a new fuel tank in the shed. Millipore’s application states there will be little to no impact to the current site, as the amount of impervious surface to be added is minimal, and the drainage will still be directed to the same swail as it currently is. The addition includes an internal trench system to handle potential chemical spills.

Millipore requested a waiver of a few of the requirements of a site plan amendment, including a storm drainage plan and snow removal plan, as the addition does not significantly impact the plans currently in place. Jaffrey’s Director of Public Works Randall Heglin, submitted a letter to the Planning Board, in which he told the board that whether or not it agreed to waive the requirement of drainage and snow removal plans, it should require an update of Millipore’s spill prevention and countermeasure control plan.

The board agreed with that measure, and made it a condition of its approval of the plan. Bollards are planned for around the chemical storage building and one by the underground storage tank on the amended site plans. The board recommended Millipore put into place additional bollards to prevent traffic from entering the area around the shed, particularly in the area of the current storage tank. The board also suggested that the drainage pipe to be installed be white in color, to differentiate it from the sewer and water pipes, which are colored green and blue.

Last week, the Zoning Board approved a variance for the addition to the shed to expand the chemical storage building and sidewalks into the Wetlands Conservation District, and to install an underground fire/sprinkler water containment tank in the Wetlands Conservation District, as well as a variance to permit a structure height of 75 feet whereas a maximum of 45 feet is otherwise allowed.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter at @AshleySaari.